Explorers store 30,000 barrels at Amosin Turkana oil prospect

Money Markets

A worker at an oil rig in Turkana. PHOTO | FILE 

By GEOFFREY IRUNGU, girungu@ke.nationmedia.com

Wells tested around the Amosin area, Lokichar Basin in Turkana County, produced oil at the rate of 4,300 barrels a day, piling up the crude in storage to 30,000 barrels.

Oil has already been discovered in several areas around the Basin and the exploration firms are currently in the process of confirming the flow and volumes of the wells.

“Production from all five zones was at a combined average constrained rate of 4,300 barrels of oil per day (bopd) under natural flow conditions and a cumulative volume of 30,000 barrels of oil was produced into storage,” said joint well owners Tullow Kenya and Africa Oil in an update.

According to the oil explorers, the tests show significant oil volumes and continuous oil presence linking the wells, indicating they are ready for future production.

“The pressure data supports significant connected oil volumes and confirms lateral reservoir continuity between the wells which is positive for the future development of the Amosin field,” said the update.

Africa Oil and Tullow have focused attention in Kenya on the area for extended tests.

Testing has also been going on at Ngamia-8 and Ngamia-3 wells with a flow of a combined maximum rate of 3,900 bopd and 1,740 bopd respectively, with Ngamia-6 clean-up flow testing ongoing.

“These initial results are very encouraging,” said the firms. The explorers have also commenced testing the Ngamia-9 appraisal well.
They said Kenya and Uganda have done significant work on the export pipeline to evacuate the oil to the sea ports.

“Progress is being made on the decision regarding the route of the export pipeline with the technical consultant having submitted its final feasibility report to the governments of Uganda and Kenya,” said the update.

“It is expected that the governments will shortly agree on the preferred routing which will enable the next phase of work on the pipeline to progress.”

Oil explorers have cited the pipeline as critical in deciding their investment in production of the hydrocarbons.

Recently, Reuters reported that the decision on the route for the crude pipeline could be made by mid-July.

The two options that have been proposed are using the route of the existing line running through Nairobi to the Mombasa port or going through northern Kenya and to Lamu at the Coast.